Box sheltered third rail and shoe



sa 13, 3938. c. v. WHEY mwflofi BOX SHELTERED THIRD RAIL AND SHOE Filed Sept 30, 1956 5 WEE/2E7 Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATET OFFIE Charles V. Richey, Jamaica, N. Y., assignor to Richey Special Third Rail Corporation, New

York, N. Y.

Application September 30, 1936, Serial No. 103,372

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in the third-rail and shoe of an electric railway system, in which the current for propelling the cars is supplied to the cars through suitable contacts or shoes in sliding contact with the rail.

The main object of the invention is to improve the construction of the rail itself and also to improve the housing for the rail, so as to provide an effective method of guarding it from the elfects of weather and the accumulations of snow and ice, and also to prevent contact with the conducting part of the rail by persons or animals crossing or using the car track.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box shelter third-rail constructed in such mannor as to permit a broken shoe to drop therefrom.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a contact shoe for use in third-rail systems, adapted to prevent arcing and burning of the shoe when passing over uneven face surfaces on the third-rail, or over rail joints or other bumps on the rail.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of one form of my improved third-rail and the protective housing connected thereto;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of a third-rail shown in Figure 1, parts thereof being broken away to illustrate details of construction;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan of a contact shoe forming part of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section of a modified form of third-rail;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section of another modification of said invention; and

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section of still another form of the invention.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, the invention comprises a conducting or thirdrail 7, shaped throughout its length as a segment of a cylinder. A web 8 projects radially from the main body of the rail 1; and a contact face 9 is formed on the main body, preferably at an angle of 45 to the horizontal when the rail is in proper position, to make contact with the fingers [0, H and I2 of a contact shoe I3 extending from the railroad car.

The entire surface of the rail 1, except the inclined face 9, is covered with a sheet of insulation M. A protecting housing I5 extends around the greater part of the rail 1 and terminates in a flat part 16 which is substantially parallel to the face 9 when the rail is in operative position. The cover is supported in operative position by means of brackets I! (only one of which is shown in the drawing) which are shaped to conform to the shape of the rail 1 and its coverings. The lower part of the bracket l1 extends around the web 8 of the rail 7 and seats in a U-shaped recess 18 formed in a bracket l9 having flanges extending in opposite directions therefrom to seat on an insulated block 20 in common use in third-rail systems.

The blocks 26 are provided with apertures 2| adapted to receive dowels 22 extending from the bottom of the bracket Hi. The protective cover l5 may be of wood or other suitable insulating material; and is adapted to be secured in position by means of lag screws 23 extending through the bracket H.

The rail forming the subject matter of the present application is intended to replace the exposed rail now in common use. In order to facilitate the change from the old to the new system, it is essential that the shoe 83 may be used on the old rail R, as indicated in dotted line in Figure 1, until the new rail is completely installed and in order that traiiic may not be interrupted during the change from the old to the new system.

The fingers Hi, Ill and i2 form an extension of and are pivotally connected to the free end of the contact shoe i3; and springs 24 are arranged at the joints between the shoe i3 and the contact fingers to cause said fingers to bear yieldingly against the inclined face 9 of the new thirdrail. fingers will compensate for any up and down or lateral movement of the truck carrying the shoe; and since there are three such fingers it is obvious that one of them, at least, will always be in contact with the rail 1, so as to prevent sparking or burning of the shoe.

It will be apparent from Figure 1 of the drawing that if the shoe l3 or any of the fingers supported thereby should become broken, the broken part will fall at once from contact with the thirdrail. This will eliminate any possibility of danger which would result from the jamming of a broken shoe or any part thereof in a box sheltered thirdrail.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figure 4 difiers from that shown in Figure 5, only in the bracket for supporting the housing H5 in position on the third-rail. The bracket 25 in this case comprises a cylindrical portion 26 conforming to the shape of the third-rail and the coverings This arrangement of the spring contact I therefor. Lag screws 21 secure the portion 26 to the cover [5. A strap 28 extends radially from the-lower end of the cylindrical portion 26 of each bracket; and terminates in a flange 29 adapted to be suitably secured to the insulated block 20. This bracket construction serves to brace the third-rail against any lateral thrust resulting from the pressure of the shoe fingers on the inclined contact face.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 5, the third-rail 38 is substantially cylindrical throughout the greater part of its cross-sectional area. A web 3| extends radially therefrom; and a groove 32 is formed in the main body diametrically opposite to the web 3!. A sheet of insulation 33 is suitablysecured to the rail and covers the entire surface of said rail except the inclined contact face 34. A cover of wood or other suitable insulating material 35 is shaped to provide a tongue 36 extending into the groove 32 or the part thereof covered by the sheet 33. A cylindrical portion extends from the tongue 36 around part of the rail 30, and an inclined portion 3i is formed as a part of said cover parallel to the inclined face 34 of the rail 39. The web 3! with its covering 33 seats in a suitable bracket 38 adapted to be secured as usual to the insulated blocks 20.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figure 6 is the reverse of that shown in Figure 5. In this case, the bracket 39 for supporting the rail on the insulated block, comprises a base having a tongue 48 extending therefrom to seat in the groove M formed radially the insulated third-rail 42. The upper part of the rail 32 is provided with a tongue 43 adapted to receive the correspondinglygrooved part 44 of the protecting hood or cover 45. The hood 45 is provided with an inclined part 46 which is spaced apart parallel to the inclined face 37 of the rail 42 when the parts are properly assembled in operative position.

In the forms of the invention illustrated herein the webs on the third-rails constitute stiffening ribs which make the whole structure rigid. In the forms of the invention illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, rails with grooves at both top and bottom would be better for the purpose of insulation. However, this construction would weaken the rails unduly. Therefore, I prefer the form in which a stiffening rib or web is used.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be considered as limited to the specific construction and arrangement described herein, since it is evident that many changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. In an electric railway system, a third-rail suitably supported on the track and having a contact face inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to the track, an arm extending from a car of said system toward said rail adapted to engage a second third rail, a contact finger pivoted to the end of said arm, and means for holding said contact finger in yielding contact with said inclined face.

2. In an electric railway system, a third-rail suitably supported on the track and having a contact face inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to the track, an arm extending from a car of said system toward said rail adapted to engage a second third rail, a plurality of contact fingers pivoted to the end of said arm and lying normally in contact with said inclined face, and means for forcing said fingers into yielding contact with said face.

3. In an electric railway system, a third-rail suitably supported on the track thereof and having a contact face inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to the track, a covering of insulating material supported by said third-rail and spaced apart substantially parallel to said inclined face, a shoe extending from a car of said system toward said rail adapted to engage a second third rail, and a contact finger pivoted to the end of said shoe and extending into the space between said inclined face and covering, and means for forcing said finger into yielding contact with said inclined face.

4. In an electric railway system, a third-rail suitably supported on the track thereof, and having a contact face inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to the track, an arm extending from a car of said system toward said rail adapted tov engage a second third rail, a plurality of contact fingers pivoted to the end of said arm, yielding means for holding said fingers independently in yielding contact with said inclined face, and a protecting cover of insulating material extending over said rail and having a part thereof substantially parallel to the inclined face of said rail.

5. In an electric railway system, a third-rail suitably supported on the track and having a contact face inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to the track, a protective cover extending in spaced apart relationship to said inclined face, and an arm adapted to engage a second third rail extending from a truck of said system and having a shoe in yielding contact with said inclined face.

CHARLES V. RICHEY. 

